en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) submitted a CRISI grant application to the Federal Railroad Administration yesterday, planning to extend Amtrak's Hiawatha passenger service approximately 80 miles west from Milwaukee to Madison.

According to a press release from the office of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, the proposed extension will utilize existing freight infrastructure. Grant funds will be used for track upgrades to increase capacity and support higher passenger train speeds, as well as covering bridge repairs, grade crossing improvements, and the construction of three temporary station platforms in Madison, Watertown, and Pewaukee.

The Hiawatha line, currently operating between Chicago and Milwaukee, runs seven round trips daily. Under WisDOT's proposal, the extension would add two daily round trips to Madison. State government research indicates that this expansion would create approximately 200 permanent jobs and generate about $46 million in annual economic benefits.

The total cost of the Hiawatha extension project is estimated at $272.8 million. Wisconsin is applying for $218.2 million in CRISI grants; WisDOT officials stated in an email that if the grant is awarded, the remaining funds will be secured through local and state channels.

Wisconsin has previously attempted to expand passenger rail multiple times. In 2009, former Governor Jim Doyle reached an agreement with manufacturer Talgo to build two new trains connecting Madison and Milwaukee, with the state receiving $810 million in federal funding at the time. In 2010, former Governor Scott Walker rejected the funding. Talgo had already built the trains and subsequently sued Wisconsin. According to Evers' office, the settlement required the state to pay Talgo $50 million to purchase the trains, which are now operating in Nigeria.

"Ensuring Wisconsin has 21st-century transportation and infrastructure to compete for workforce and thrive in the 21st-century economy must be a state priority... This is an important effort that is long overdue, and I hope the Trump administration will approve our request so we can get this done," Evers said.

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